Manual of The Forbidden ➡ Irwin

Chapter 19.

"Why you didn't get into the gondola?" I asked him.

"I got into it the last time, and I like better stepping onto land," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"That makes the two of us."

We sat on one of the many benches around here, felling the cold wind move my hair.

"What were Luke and you talking about?" he asked out of the blue.

I laughed.

"You're really curious, aren't you?" I laughed again.

"I am, but that's not important, I want you to tell me!" he tried to pull a serious face but he looked beyond funny.

"I won't, that is just between your brother and I," I laughed, I didn't know why, but the little Shrew was happy making Ashton jealous, or that's what she thought.

"One day, Dawn, one day I will know what you two were talking about!" he threatened.

"We'll see," I laughed.

"Do you want an ice cream?" Ashton offered.

"Are you trying to buy me with ice cream?"

"Can I?"

"No, but you almost got me though," I laughed again.

"OK, but do you really want some?, I invite," he offered again, trying to be the gentleman he always is.

I look at him in disbelief.

"Hey!, it's no harm!" he lift his arms in surrender.

"OK, I guess it won't kill me," he giggled at my statement.

We walked to this little ice cream shop and we were greeted by the guy behind the counter, Ashton waved at him asking for a little time so we could know what to order.

"What ice cream do you want?" he asked in this serious voice making a shiver run down my spine.

"Chocolate!"

Ashton directed himself to the counter.

"Due gelato al cioccolato per favore," he asked the guy with his irresistible Italian accent. ("Two chocolate ice creams please").

"Subito!" said the guy turning away, taking to cups and filling them with the cold dessert, and sprinkling it with chocolate chips, he gave them to Ashton, who gave one to me. ("Coming").

Ashton paid the guy, and he turned again to get Ashton's change.

"Che bella coppia che fatte," said the guy, Ashton laughed putting the money back inside his jean pocket.

"Grazie!" I felt definitely dumb, I really needed to learn Italian.

We left the shop and walked to the place we were standing before.

"What did he say?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, I'm just trying to get to know words in order to make easier my learning,"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what were you talking about with Luke," he proposed.

"I won't!" he was so persistent, "I won't tell you!, never!" we both laughed.

"You're hard to break,"

"And you're are really curious."

"Did you like your ice cream?"

"Uh?, sure," I was surprised how easily he could change subjects.

"But you haven't even tasted it!" he was laughing so hard I felt a little embarrassed but I couldn't help and laughed along.

.......

I wasn't counting the days on the calendar, but it has been two weeks since my arrival here in Venice, I couldn't help but feel happy to have Sharon with me and what also made me feel right was the fact that I had met so many people.

Michael: he was always understanding, kind, And nice with me, and even when I asked him out, he showed really excited. Now we saw each other in the café whenever we wanted, or we could just talk for a long time if we found each other in the hall.

Luke: with him it was a little different. Our relationship was full of trust, since I was the only one who had found out his secret, every time we talked we ended up knowing something new about each other, when we hung out the conversations were always interesting and meaningful, he was always kind and full of joy.

Tay: she was always happy, but not the annoying kind of happy, but a nice happy, she always seemed to know what to say, she was only eighteen but sometimes she seemed even more mature than I am, it didn't matter what she had to say, she always made me smile, now going to the photo lab was part of my daily routine, even if I had no photos to be revealed.

Ashton: this was a really different case from all the others, the time we spent together was bigger in so many ways, because every time at seven o'clock he showed up at the apartment and we talked, laughed and sometimes we played the stupid boardgames Sharon kept, our friendship was growing, but next to it was something else: this weird sensation I felt every time I saw him; this warm feeling in my stomach every time I heard his voice; and even the excitement I got when I heard the bell ring every night. But I felt worried because after at all I could not feel things like this for my best friend's boyfriend.

........

I looked at my wrist watch it was almost four, I grabbed my purse and my camera, I was going to the Agnelli's photo lab, I needed Tay to help me out with some photos I had taken yesterday, I left the apartment, as always I found Michael in the hall, he gave me a smile.

"Going anywhere?" he asked nicely.

"To the Agnelli's photo lab, wanna come with?" I offered.

"Sure, I'd love to."

Michael was really intelligent and even handsome, Sharon had told me several times that it was obvious that Michael was attracted to me; however it was like I was being blinded my a meteor and I couldn't see the stars anymore; in this case Ashton was the meteor, and Michael the star.

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[A/N]

So this chapter goes dedicated to LukeyIsARainbow. She's hella rad.

Thanks a lot for reading, please vote and comment.

And read you later guys.